By Kshalini Nonis 

With Breast Cancer Awareness Month coming up in October and it being the most common cancer among women in Sri Lanka, we had a chat with Dr Lanka Jayasuriya-Dissanayake, Chairperson of the Indira Cancer Trust.

Q: Why are more Sri Lankan women being diagnosed with breast cancer, and what do the latest statistics show?

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Sri Lankan women today. Each year, nearly 4,000 women are diagnosed. Every single day, 15 new cases are reported, and sadly, three women die from the disease.
The rising numbers are partly because of lifestyle changes, an ageing population, and better detection, but they also remind us that awareness and early action are still far too low.

Q: You mentioned monthly self-examination for early detection. How is this done, and at what age should women begin to do it?

From the age of 20, every woman should set aside one fixed day each month to examine her breasts. The best time is one week after menstruation starts, or a chosen date each month for those who are no longer menstruating. The method is simple: touch to feel for lumps, look in the mirror for any changes in size, skin or nipples, and check with a doctor if something unusual appears. This routine, called “Touch · Look · Check” or TLC, takes only a few minutes but can save lives.

Q: What is the best way to detect breast cancer?

The very first and most accessible step is a monthly self-breast examination (SBE) from age 20+. Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health / National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) guidelines expand this home step into a full early detection strategy: they recommend clinical breast examination (CBE) by a trained healthcare worker, performed every three years for women aged 20–40, and annually after 40. These guidelines also establish referral pathways for women who experience symptoms. Imaging (ultrasound or mammograms) is used when clinical signs suggest it. Sri Lanka uses a “triple assessment” approach when symptoms are present: clinical exam + imaging + biopsy. 
If screening mammography is available, international evidence shows it helps reduce mortality, especially when used for women aged around 40-69, but in Sri Lanka, its use is more targeted, recommended when there are symptoms or elevated risk. Early detection combined with timely follow-up drastically improves survival.

Q: Where can women go for check-ups in Sri Lanka?

In the state sector, there are well-woman clinics, early detection centres, and cancer units across the island.
Private hospitals also have breast clinics with the facilities for mammography, ultrasound, and biopsy. The important thing is to perform a self-breast examination monthly and get checked without delay if you notice any changes.

Q: What are the warning signs women should watch out for?

Any new lump in the breast or armpit, a change in size or shape of the breast, dimpling or thickening of the skin, nipple changes such as discharge or inversion, or redness and pain that does not go away — all of these are warning signs.

Q: Could you briefly explain the stages of breast cancer?

Breast cancer is staged from 0 to IV. Stage 0 is when the disease is still confined to the ducts or lobules.
Stages I to III describe tumours that are increasingly larger or involve nearby lymph nodes. Stage IV is when the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body. The stage determines treatment and outlook.

Q: What treatment options are available in Sri Lanka?

Treatment is planned by a team of specialists and can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone therapy, or newer targeted treatments. These services are available at state cancer units and private hospitals, so women across Sri Lanka can access modern care.

Q: What support exists for patients apart from medical treatment?

The Indira Cancer Trust was established in 2016 by Hon. Karu Jayasuriya, in memory of his daughter Indira, who passed away after her own battle with breast cancer. From its inception, the Trust has been dedicated to ensuring that no patient or family faces cancer alone. Beyond medical treatment, we recognised the urgent need for emotional, practical, and social support—needs that are often overlooked yet make a world of difference in how patients and families cope.

Today, ICT provides a wide network of free programmes: counselling for patients and families, a national cancer helpline, nutritional packs, hair wigs and prostheses, mastectomy bras, dry rations, mobility aids, and even funeral support for those in greatest hardship. These are not only for patients with Breast Cancer but also for anyone with a cancer diagnosis.

Q: How can breast cancer be prevented?

Breast cancer can be prevented and risk can be reduced by maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, limiting alcohol, breastfeeding where possible, and seeking medical advice if there is a family history. Most importantly, early detection through self-examination is the best protection.

Q: What is the significance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

Every October, the world turns pink to focus attention on breast cancer awareness and the importance of early detection. For Sri Lanka, where 15 women are diagnosed and 3 die every single day, this month is not symbolic alone—it is a call to action to save lives.

The life-saving message is simple: every woman above 20 years should perform a self-breast examination once a month. It costs nothing, takes only a few minutes, and is often the first step to finding cancer early, when survival chances are over 90%. Importantly, women should not wait until October to act. This is a habit for every month of the year. 

To reinforce this, former Sri Lanka cricket captain Roshan Mahanama initiated the Pink Wednesday campaign as part of the global movement—where every Wednesday we wear pink to remind ourselves and others of this responsibility.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month, therefore, becomes a moment to amplify the message, unite communities, and remind every family—mothers, daughters, wives, sisters, as well as husbands, sons, and brothers—that protecting women’s health is a shared responsibility.

Q: Can you tell us about Sri Lanka’s first nationwide triathlon for breast cancer?

The TLC Triathlon 2025 is Sri Lanka’s first-ever nationwide triathlon dedicated to breast cancer awareness, designed not as a sporting competition but as a national movement for life. Every Sunday in October, a symbolic short-format triathlon will take place in all four corners of the island:

· 5th October – Kilinochchi (North)
· 12th October – Batticaloa (East)
· 19th October – Matara (South)
· 26th October – Colombo (West)

This triathlon is deliberately short and achievable, so that anyone—families, students, survivors, doctors, professionals—can take part. Each participant will swim 250 meters, cycle 6 kilometres, and run 3 kilometres, in a relay format where three individuals come together as one team. This makes it fun, accessible, and deeply symbolic: three people, three steps—Touch, Look, Check—Sri Lanka’s call for monthly breast self-examination.

The concept was designed by G360 Events under the guidance of Julian Bolling, a pioneer in Sri Lanka’s triathlon space, who adapted international triathlon formats into a community-friendly version suitable for this national cause.

Every participant will receive a pink T-shirt and a medal, not as a prize for winning, but as a badge of honour—a reminder to carry the TLC message back home and pass it onto mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, and friends.

This is not about athletes; it is about awareness. Participants will swim, bike, and run for her—because protecting women’s health is a responsibility shared by husbands, sons, brothers, and children too.

By registering and joining, you are not just completing a race—you are becoming part of Sri Lanka’s largest-ever breast cancer awareness campaign, one that unites health professionals, civil society, corporate partners, and families in a single mission: to save lives through early detection.

Q: Why was the triathlon built around “Touch · Look · Check”?

Because TLC is a simple step that every woman can take for herself. The triathlon — swim, cycle, run — mirrors the resilience and endurance needed to overcome cancer, while spreading the message that women must check themselves every month from the age of 20
.
Q: Who are the organisers and sponsors?

The Sri Lanka Medical Association and Indira Cancer Trust are leading the campaign, supported by the Ministry of Health, the National Cancer Control Programme, the College of Oncologists, the Society of Breast Surgeons, the College of Community Physicians, and many civic partners, including Rotary, Lions, Scouts, Girl Guides and the Red Cross. The campaign is also powered by the support of the private sector, including Commercial Bank as Gold Sponsor and several other companies who have chosen to support not for publicity, but because they believe in saving lives.

Q: Finally, what do you hope to achieve with this campaign?

Our goal is simple yet powerful: to make “Touch · Look · Check” a habit for every woman over 20 in Sri Lanka. We want families to encourage their mothers, sisters, daughters, and wives to do it every month. By taking part in the triathlon, participants bring home not just a medal and a pink T-shirt, but a message of life.